"Fort built around the officer's quarters of the First Minnesota Regiment, Colonel Sully, near Fair Oaks, VA. The peculiarities of the States and nationalities as were represented in the Federal Army developed themselves in a variety of ways. At Fortress Monroe the German regiments erected bowers in which they quaffed their lager and smoked, while their regimental bands played airs which led them back by the ear to Das Vaterland; and the Garibaldi Guard made their tents as much like Swiss cottages as possible. The First Minnesota Regiment, Colonel A. Sully, little dreaming how soon they would have to abandon their handiwork to the enemy, erected a fort around the commodious farm house near Fair Oaks, which, after the battle of Seven Pines, May 31st, 1862, had been given to their captains and lieutenants for their quarters. The appearance was so strange that an officer of General McClellan's staff made a sketch and sent it to us." — Frank Leslie, 1896

First Minnesota Regiment

"Fort built around the officer's quarters of the First Minnesota Regiment, Colonel Sully, near Fair…